Boon's Basement

Shaolin and Kung Fu Movies Overload!

// August 14th, 2009 // Entertainment

Ever since Stephen Chow made a come back with Shaolin Soccer in 2001, there have been tons of movie titles bearing the word Shaolin or Kung Fu. While Martial arts have been the central theme for a lot of Asian movies since being introduced by famous Shaw Brothes to the Hong Kong film industry in the early 1930’s, it can be seen in a lot of Hollywood films, thanks to Asian directors such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li, John Woo, Chow Yun Fatt and many more.

A lot of the producers or directors of the movies listed below attempted a cheap shot by inserting  the wushu theme into everything from sports to cooking. Not only they failed to entice their audience through applying Kung Fu to everything done in the film, the producers and directors have bastardized a martial art that has existed for 4000 years for the sake of selling a movie. Although many of the movies below are ridiculously boring, there are some that are quite entertaining.

Below are the list of movie titles that bear the word Kung Fu or Shaolin.

Enjoy!

Kung Fu Hustle 2004

Starring:
Stephen Chow
Yuen Wah
Yuen Qiu
Danny Chan Kwok Kwan
Bruce Leung
Kung Fu Hustle (Chinese: 功夫; pinyin: Gōngfu) is a 2004 Hong Kong action crime comedy film directed by Stephen Chow, who also produced and starred in the film. The film was also produced by Po Chu Chui and Jeffrey Lau, meanwhile the screenplay was wrote by Xin Huo, Chan Man Keung and Kan-Cheung Tsang. Set in Canton, China in the 1940s in a town ruled by the Axe Gang, the story revolves around Sing (Chow) who desperately wants to become a member. He stumbles into a slum ruled by eccentric landlords who turns out to be the greatest kung-fu masters in disguise. Sing’s actions eventually cause the Axe Gang and the slumlords to engage in an explosive kung-fu battle. The film stars Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, Danny Chan Kwok Kwan and Bruce Leung in prominent roles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Fu_Hustle
Trailer:

Shaolin Soccer 2001

Starring:

Stephen Chow
Zhao Wei
Ng Man Tat
Patrick Tse
Wong Yat-Fei
Danny Chan Kwok Kwan
Shaolin Soccer is a 2001 Hong Kong comedy film co-written and directed by Stephen Chow, who also stars in the film. A former Shaolin monk reunites his five brothers, years after their master’s death, to apply their superhuman martial arts skills to play soccer and bring Shaolin kung fu to the masses.
In 2008 a sequel, produced by, but not starring Stephen Chow, was released entitled Shaolin Girl. Very few of the cast from the original film make an appearance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_Soccer
Trailer:

Kung Fu Mahjong 2005

Starring:

Yuen Wah
Yuen Qiu
Roger Kwok
Theresa Fu
Wong Jing
Wong Yat Tung
Jade Leung
Tin Kai Man
Lam Chi Chung
Kung Fu Mahjong (traditional Chinese: 雀聖) is a 2005 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Wong Jing and Billy Chung. It is about an obsessive gambler Chi Mo Sai (Yuen Wah) and Auntie Fei (Yuen Qiu). It falls into the Hong Kong cinema genre of Mahjong films. The film was followed by two sequels, Kung Fu Mahjong 2 which was released the same year as the first film, and Kung Fu Mahjong 3: The Final Duel, which was released in 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Fu_Mahjong
Trailer:

Shaolin Girl 2008

Cast:Kou Shibasaki, Toru Nakamura,  Kitty Zhang Yuqi, Takashi Okamura, Lam Chi-Chung, Tin Kai-Man, Yosuke Eguchi

Shaolin Girl (少林少女 shōrin shōjo?) a 2008 Japanese film inspired by the 2001 Hong Kong film Shaolin Soccer. Unlike the original film, the movie focuses on women’s lacrosse. It starred Japanese actress Kou Shibasaki and see Hong Kong actors Lam Chi Chung and Kai Man Tin return from the original film. The film was released in Japan on April 26, 2008. Stephen Chow, director and star in Shaolin Soccer, was the producer, but is not credited as writer or director.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_Girl
Trailer:

Kung Fu Chefs 2008

Cast: Sammo Hung, Vanness Wu, Cherrie Ying, Kago Ai, Hung Tin Ming, Lam Tze Chung, Louis Fan, Bruce Leung

Synopsis: History of traditional Chinese culture is lengthy and vast. Chinese cuisine is just as colorful and flavorful. Not to mention Chinese kung fu where there are hundreds of styles and worldwide renowned. Wong Bing Yee is village head and master chef, until a banquet goes horribly wrong. In search of his brother’s master, he finds a place he is needed, and sets about making Four Seas a successful restaurant. But past wrongs bring Yee, the restuarant owners and his talented apprentice into danger and Yee must reduce to basics the things that are most important. /heroic-cinema/
Ousted chef Wong Bing-Yi is determined to help Shen Qing at her restaurant “Four Seas”. He trains a young chef, Lung Kin-Yat to compete against Chef Tin, the head chef at “Imperial Palace”, for the title of “Top Chef”. /imdb/
Trailer:

Shaolin Grandma 2009

Starring:
Chiyoko Asami
Nao Nagasawa
Kazuyuki Senba
Sentaro
Ryutaro Ueshima

SHAOLIN GRANDMA stars 67-year-old Chiyoko Asami, whose previous claim to fame is as an elderly character on a variety show that cast members are sometimes forced to kiss. The fact that she looks like Wong Yut-fei, aka “Iron Head,” from SHAOLIN SOCCER seems to be part of the joke. She plays Miyoko, a Shaolin kung fu instructor found apparently dead in her apartment by the local mailman. While waiting for the police to arrive he begins reading about her absurd life in a series of scrolls.
Trailer:

Kung Fu Dunk 2008

Starring:

Jay Chou
Charlene Choi
Wilson Chen

Kung Fu Dunk (traditional Chinese: 功夫灌籃; simplified Chinese: 功夫灌篮; pinyin: Gōngfū Guànlán), also known by its former title Slam Dunk, is a 2008 Mainland Chinese live-action film. It was directed by Taiwanese director Chu Yin-Ping and filmed in Taiwan and mainland China. The film was previously titled Slam Dunk, but later the title has been changed to avoid confusion with the Slam Dunk manga and anime series[1] which it was roughly based on despite the film itself having no association whatsoever. The filming, however, conveyed a strong flavour of Hong Kong films, reminiscent of movies like Shaolin Soccer. It features a list of well-known stars although not from Mainland China, but predominantly actors and singers from Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Trailer:

Love it, loathe it? Comments appreciated.

-Boon